Major Airline Conference Coming to Vancouver

October 02, 2007

October 2, 2007 - 9:30 AM

Convention Brings to the City Key Decision Makers on Air Routes

The 16th World Route Development Forum 2010, known simply as "Routes," will be held in Vancouver in September 2010, bringing with it more than 2,000 decision-makers responsible for determining which airlines fly where in the world. The announcement was made at the 2007 Routes Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, at a signing ceremony attended by local travel and aviation representatives and international industry experts.

Routes, which has never before been held in North America, is the key forum for international route planners from airlines and airports to meet during scheduled one-on-one meetings to strike air access deals.

Vancouver Airport Authority and Tourism Vancouver's joint proposal was selected through a competitive bid process. The 2010 conference is expected to have a direct impact of $1.9-million on Metro Vancouver's economy.

For Vancouver International Airport, which will be the local host for the convention, the timing could not be better. "Not only will delegates be able to enjoy the facilities and cultural legacies of the Olympic Games, but they will also be able to experience firsthand the new International Terminal facilities and the Canada Line rapid transit link to downtown," said Larry Berg, President and CEO of Vancouver Airport Authority. "Routes 2010 will also give our marketing team a key vehicle for promoting new routes for both passengers and cargo."

"Vancouver's ability to leverage opportunities such as the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and the convention centre expansion relies heavily on our destination having increased air access," said Rick Antonson, Tourism Vancouver's President & CEO. "YVR's leadership in bringing Routes to Vancouver is a significant way of exposing key decision makers to our destination."

British Columbia's Premier, The Honourable Gordon Campbell, also applauded the win. "B.C.'s reputation as the Pacific Gateway to North America for international travel and trade is growing, and the decision to host the 2010 Routes convention here reflects our growing status as a global destination," said Premier Gordon Campbell. "I want to thank and congratulate Vancouver Airport Authority and Tourism Vancouver for successfully winning the bid to bring this international conference to British Columbia."